1. Field of the Invention
With reference to the classification of art as established in the United States Patent and Trademark Office the present invention is believed to relate to art as found in the general Class entitled, "Package Making" (Class 53) and the subclass entitled, "group forming of contents unit" (subclass 26) and also in the subclass entitled, "receptacle formed and subsequently filled" (subclass 29).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Patents directed toward case packing eared containers and other items are well known. Several recent U.S. Patents pertaining to apparatus for article positioning and case loading have been issued. Among these patents are U.S. Pat. No. 3,209,512 to FERGUSON, Jr., etal. which issued on Oct. 5th, 1965; U.S. Pat. No. 3,284,985 to ROTH which issued on Nov. 15th, 1966 and also U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,912 to ANDERSON which issued on Aug. 26th, 1969. In these and other known systems it is the intent to receive bailed, eared containers and to orient these containers so that with their bails laid against the side of the containers these containers, as a grouping, may be fed into an open, erected carton and with the containers in a determined oriented condition the carton is closed and sealed.
In the present invention and as reduced to practice, it is contemplated that the apparatus will place small containers in an erected carton.
A carton is provided of small height and an extent of width and length about the same as that in a carton for four or six one-gallon containers. This case packer also requires an adjustability in that for a period one-quart containers may be packaged and then one-pint containers and then intermediate and other sizes.
The present invention receives containers on a conveyor leading from a filling and lid applying mechanism or other container advancing means. In a preferred embodiment these containers are brought to a feed conveyor whereat the containers are delivered by an accumulating conveyor to an orienting mechanism where they are arranged in groups of three or four. These containers as a group are then fed into an open side of an erected carton. After the carton has been filled with a selected number of containers, the carton is advanced to a closing, sealing and delivering mechanism.
In addition to the embodiment pertaining to a case packing of containers particularly for paint and the like, there is also disclosed the adapting of this apparatus to the packaging of stackable items such as sponges. As with the containers, this apparatus is made adjustable for a ready size change in sponges and their packages. An up-stacking device and transfer pusher for moving the accumulated packaged articles into the open side of an erected carton is provided.